Issue details

Financial Procedure Rules Section 11.1 requires that fees & charges are to be reviewed at least once per annum. Service Directors have the authority to amend fees & charges in line with the annual budget strategy or raise charges by the consumer price index.

Any proposals outside these parameters require the approval of the appropriate Strategic Director, relevant Portfolio Holder (s) and Chief Finance Officer.
The Review of Fees and Charges includes the following services:
• Cleansing
• Environmental Health
• Parks & Open Spaces
• Highways
• Highways Registry and Local Land Charges
• Housing Services
• Transport Services
• Community Buildings
• Bereavement
• Museums
• Libraries
• Town Centre Outdoor Spaces
• Town Halls
• Registrars
• Licencing
• Building Control
• Planning
• Car Parks

Consultation, briefing and engagement with services and cabinet portfolio holders covered a number of areas that included: the work undertaken to pull together an overall baseline of the council’s fees and charges; the proposed increase in animal welfare licence fees; the three fold increase in enquiries and workload in responding to legislative requirements. Other areas covered included: Food Safety Advice; Environment Health Consultancy; Pest Control; Traffic Management Permit Fees; Housing Immigration Property Fees; Taxi re-test and cancellation fees; Wedding Packages; Registrars; and planning pre-application fees.